If you're on social media today, you won't see posts on Reel, TikTok, or LinkedIn from self-proclaimed billionaires who claim that digital marketing helped them “escape the Matrix.” As far as these billionaires are concerned, digital marketing appears to be the key to taking 16-year-old high school dropouts and producing a slew of big-time players in Dubai. Not to mention, it's said to be an “easy and cheap” skill to learn.
Simply put, digital marketing refers to advertising and marketing through digital media using electronic technology. From SEO optimization to static banner ads, sponsored reels, and even affiliate news content, digital marketing uses many tools to capture customer attention. Thanks to the widespread use of smart devices and social media, digital marketing is permeating all aspects of marketing. Having a website and social media pages is a must for businesses today. Businesses are increasingly leveraging viral marketing to generate more engagement and sales, resulting in the Pizzaburg rage-bait meme and the unhinged Duolingo reel we all know. I am.
However, despite the mainstream adoption of digital marketing, there are still some key differences from traditional advertising.
“Although generally part of the marketing realm, digital marketing offers broader scope for experimentation and rapid execution,” says Maisha Tasnim*, a content marketing executive at a local marketing agency. Masu. “For example, if something is trending right now, digital marketing allows you to jump on that trend almost instantly.”
So why should you study digital marketing? When asked how students benefit from studying digital marketing, Effaz Nauman, a lecturer at North South University's School of Marketing and International Business, says: He says: “Students will gain hands-on experience by creating and managing real digital campaigns, learning how to use platforms and tools such as Google Ads, social media platforms and web analytics, all used by companies around the world. ”
Additionally, learning digital marketing also includes learning data analysis, which is a key skill in the data-driven world we live in today.
So let’s get down to business – you can’t wait to research digital media and start your digital marketing journey, but where do you start? Every job has specific requirements and digital marketing is no exception . It goes without saying that digital marketing requires basic marketing knowledge. However, that doesn't mean you can't enter the field from other educational backgrounds.
“Starting digital marketing from scratch is very easy,” says Effaz. “There are lots of free resources online and on YouTube. If you want a more structured education in digital marketing, check out Udemy, MasterClass, or Google Skillshop.”
Effaz also explains how these courses and certifications have the added benefit of helping you brand yourself to potential employers.
A career in digital marketing is much more hands-on and demanding than other marketing jobs, so marketers need to stay on their toes. Therefore, people with good time management skills, negotiation skills, and multitasking skills are advantageous in this field. In terms of functional roles, digital marketing has many responsibilities depending on the job role.
“You might write copy and captions, work with visuals, manage clients, or handle social media,” says Minhas Badon, a former marketing executive at a local digital marketing agency. I will explain in detail.
But digital marketing is such a dynamic and evolving field that it requires more than just being smart. Having ideation and visualization skills, and staying on top of and adapting to current trends are important skills needed to be successful.
“When a challenge or dance goes viral on TikTok, if you don’t immediately strategize and build a marketing campaign around it, you’re missing out on a lot of attention for your brand.” Maisha explains. In short, digital girlfriend marketing with emphasis on social media management involves chronic online status and internet addiction.
The important thing to note in this field is that you can take multiple career routes. The most common career route is through a marketing agency, which can be a traditional agency or an agency specializing in digital advertising. These agencies act as third parties for large corporate clients and take on most aspects of their clients' digital marketing and branding activities. Agencies are typically very dynamic and work with a wide variety of clients and projects, which means they are often exposed to a chaotic yet free-spirited work environment.
“You can't specialize in distributors for certain products or companies. Whatever happens, you have to work with distributors accordingly,” Minhas says. Therefore, working for an agency may require extensive research into the client's branding and image.
Meanwhile, in-house digital marketing work has become much more streamlined and focused.
“In-house marketing requires less research and adjustment because the brand voice is typically the same across all campaigns, unless a company is launching a new product,” says Minhaz. Although they don't have the adventurous flair of agency jobs, in-house marketing jobs exist in every corporate sector, from multinationals to telecoms to pharmaceutical companies, and they can be no less lucrative, at least financially speaking. Not.
So what about the local job prospects for digital marketing? Bangladesh has over 130 million internet users and social media usage reaches an average of 50 million active users across all platforms. This means you have prime real estate and huge untapped potential to pursue a career in digital marketing. In recent years, a number of digital marketing startups such as ADA and his HypeScout have dominated the field, overshadowing many established industry veterans and reflecting the high local demand for digital advertising.
“Having worked for a digital agency myself, I remember spending hours persuading brand managers of the benefits of using digital media and platforms. We look for agencies with the capabilities and then work with them,” Efaz says. Digital advertising has also begun to evolve from the static banners of the past, becoming more dynamic and fluid with new technologies such as computer-generated images.
“There’s a lot of potential, especially with the new AR/VR technologies we’re seeing these days,” Maisha says.
However, as with any innovation, bugs remain unsolved, and implementing cutting-edge technology into people's daily lives is easier said than done. “Even if there are serious efforts to integrate these new technologies, it would be a mistake to think that Bangladeshi government agencies will be able to implement them easily,” Maisha says.
So, is a career in digital marketing worth it?
Short answer – yes. Long answer – yes, since you are already chronically online, it’s okay to monetize your screen time.
However, while this is a fulfilling and enjoyable career route, it does come with its fair share of challenges that require considerable effort and dedication. So even if you can't make a living and become a clickbait influencer, digital marketing is a promising career path that reflects evolving marketing practices and consumer behavior patterns. There are many possibilities now and many more to come.
*Names have been changed to protect privacy.
Tahseen Mohammed Islam is a student at North South University.
